Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-30
CR0CTFTSSA'S LACE.

High up among tho Tuscan mountains, not
ar from tho borders Of 1oribardy, is a tiny
lamlot called Tiatjco. 1t has church, and
the few strangers who visit tho Quot little
nook and enter The humble Sanctuary wonder
at the handsome lace decorating tho Madon
mas blue silk pctticoat All The rest of tho
1rrnmcutati.n is so tawdry and poor that the
delicate fabric looks strangely out of place
how came it there. is n question the old
woman who uulocks tho door is proud TO
answer
ANY and had put up for the hottest sum
,ncr weeks ut the barn like old post inn at
Piatico. OFTEN during our walks through the
chestnut woods, or up the steep paths of the
snountainsdc. we met tall, slim girl of Is,
with srkingly beautiful dark oycs which
haunted us by reason of THOR extreme sad
ness. She wore skimp gown of homespun,
It's original color n matter of con lecture only;
her well modelled feet wero bare, and she was
usually in charge of seven sheep and one little
lame black lamb Sometimes we saw her
sitting under "a tree knitting an interminable
blue stocking-for other feet than her own,
charlottesville the sheop grazed Or, i'll
he open field, in the pouring rain, this ghost
like girl would sit on the soaking ground,
nuddlcd under an old green umbrella-this to
Of grass, from invading an adjacent cabbage
patch. The girl always gave us a gracious
Good day as She passed, and seemed pleased
when Amy smiled at her in return.
"Who is She" we inquired of the mistress
If our inn.
''You mean the girl who drives the sheep
with a LAME black lamb among thcmS' an
swered our hostess. THAT is Crocifissa, poor
girl, the convicts daughter. Hers is hard
lot among little community whore none lie
on roses, l assure you. Hor father, Sandro,
has a bad history, and the shadow of it dark
ems the girls lifen
ooh, tell it," cried Amy, dropping down
rlpon stool beside the comfortable looking
old dame
at is soon told, signora; the story of most
sins is short: it is the misery of them that
cirags on so wcarily. Whom Sandro was
Young he killed "a man in q passion of jeal-
ousy-a woman at the bottom OF the affair."
If course-stabbcd him from behind in the
lark, and threw him down into the Lima to
drown if the wound was not deep enough to
give him his death. They were a year or
more fastening the murder upon Sandro, but
he confessed it at last over glass too many
Of Chianti He was sentenced for twenty
years to prison and hard labor When his
time was out. strangely enough, he chose TO
still, he found woman foolish enough to
marry him, knowing all about his crime.
This poor, weak thing died when Crocifssa
vas born, and the child's life has been SO
vretched it seems a pity she did not die,
loo.n
are they so very poors'
"Miserably: and because of the fathers
disgrace everybody shuns Che daughter.
Cruel, isn't it, But that is the way of the
world. ! should make one exception when
say every one turns the cold shoulder upon
her Perhaps the saddest part of Crocifssa'
history is that she has lover whom she car
scarcely over hope to marry"
SIS be 50 poor too"
''Dio Mol yes His name is Reno, very
good fellow, but no luck. He makes a little
MONEY with his donkey, carrying fruit anc
vegetables to the hotel at Abctonc, but h6
mas bind old mother to help, and he car
save nothing Crocifissa earns a few franc
spinning and knitting stockings, and She
profts from the sheep put a scanty supply o.
bread in the mouths of the convict and hi!
daughter and keep crazy roof over theil
heads. CroctiSSa can mako beautiful lace
out she hurts her eyes at it, and doctor tolC
lner she would go blind if she made any
more
"She has such lovely eyesl" said Amy, en-
Enthusiastically
"Yes with bit of happiness TO brighter
Der she would be the protticst girl in thes'
parts. As it is, her good looks are little use
Door thing,n
Cant Reno hit upon a moro paying bust
ness than donkey driving" ask.
E'He wishes to go down to the Maremma
where he would get good wages and be abl
20 put by little but Crocifissa will not heal
of it, She is right, l think, for Reno is no
5trong, and the marsh fever would be sure Il
carry him Off Few people have been kline
so the girl, and no dog ever loved his master
as CrocifiSsa loves Reno"
''Poor girl what pity they cannot maxi
each other happy"
of they had a littlc capital 200 or 30
francs, to hire and furnish a room, the.
could manage to live; but 100 franc piece
do not fall from the clouds"
Life 49, Iiat.cJ being dull and bare of Incl
dent we felt much interested in Crocifissa'
story, and cultivated her acquaintance upol
every occasion. She gave us flowers ant
berries gathered in pretty little baskets i'm
provised by herself from chestnut leaves
and with her eyes bent shyly on her knitting
talked to us of her simple, uneventful life
When Reno, her lover, was under discussion
(which was frequently the case, Crocfissa'
large eyes glowed with a soft, happy light
and she became beautiful. But the bright
ness vanished again quickly at memory 0
The sordid misery cncompassing them both
How we longcd to be able to give the poo
girl the paltry sum which would change he
1ull surroundings into a paradise.
One morning, as we sat sketching on th
brow of the hill, Crocifssa timidly approache
rs, carrying II small package under her arm
This She unwrapped, disclosing about fou
yards of unusually beautiful lace, six inche
OF more wide | was not much of a conno!
5eur in such things but l could recognize tn
unusual merit of this piece.
"Why, Crocilissa!" l exclaimed, "wheI
did you get such prize"
81 made it y she answered, modeStly "a
The Convent of La Speranza, where waite
On the nuns for five or six years. They taugi
- l.llt II do